The 10 Most Ridiculous Premier League Hairstyles

Image has become part and parcel of being a Premier League players nowadays and some players put as much effort into grooming themselves before a game as they do on the training ground. There have been many players renowned for regularly altering their hairstyle and acting as trendsetters in the Premier League. David James and David Beckham are two examples. While the latter has carved out a successful marketing and merchandising empire from his image, the often comical James' career petered out in the lower leagues and he is remembered more for the many gaffs he made with England, Liverpool and Aston Villa than the colour and shape of his afro.

There is a perception that players have become softer and that football is no longer a man's game, with players reluctant to go in for a 50/50 tackle in case a strand of hair is put out of place. So, with that in mind, I thought it would be a good idea to take a look at the 10 most outlandish hairstyles in the Premier League. In no particular order, here they are:

1) Abel Xavier (Liverpool, Everton)

The former Benfica, Liverpool, Everton and Portugal defender has sported some of the most off-the-wall barnets over the years. Once dubbed the "Abominal Snowman" due to his bleach blond perm and bushy beard, Xavier's crazy antics off the pitch mirrorred his equally abnormal behaviour on the pitch.

2)  Marouane Fellaini (Manchester United)

Fellaini has possibly grown the biggest afro in the history of mankind and being able to maintain his balance on the pitch and not suffer from chronic neck pain is no mean feat. The Belgian ace looks more like a stereotypical American pimp from the 1970s than a high-profile footballer. 

3)  Javier Margas (West Ham United)

The little-renowned Chilean is more remembered from his West Ham days for his claret and blue hairstyle than any of his exploits at Upton Park.

4)  Taribo West (Derby County)

The Nigerian who bore a resemblence to a tribal warrior spent almost as much time in the stands watching as he did playing due to his fondness for picking up yellow and red cards. Derby fans will remember him more for his pigtails and ponytails than his defensive abilities.  

5)  Benoît Assou-Ekotto (Tottenham Hotspur)

The Cameroonian was a fan favourite at White Hart Lane and his changing hairstyles were a feature of his rise to prominence at Spurs. Assou-Ekotto's afro was second only to Fellaini's in terms of its ridiculousness.

6)  Djibril Cisse (Liverpool, Sunderland, QPR)

The temperamental Frenchman's explosive nature on the pitch made him a hero at the clubs he represented in the Premier League and his many hair colour and style changes over the years matched his change of mood on the park, which led to many confrontations with officials and opposing players.

7)  Gervinho (Arsenal)

The Ivory Coast star, who has been a revelation since joining AS Roma this season, clearly has a receding hairline and his attempts to compensate for that have ended up with him looking like a cross between Samuel L. Jackson and the Predator.

8)  Nicklas Bendtner (Arsenal)

The Danish striker who once claimed that he would be the best striker in the world and better than Zlatan Ibrahimovic is currently trying to model himself on the Swedish ace with a flimsy looking ponytail on top.

9)   Joe Cole (West Ham)

The Hammers midfielder has been drawing more attention to his dodgy red stripe on his head than his displays at Upton Park in recent times.

10) Jason Lee (Nottingham Forest)

The former Forest striker came to prominence after being on the end of a comedy sketch from Frank Skinner and David Baddiel's Fantasy Football show. This led to famous chants from the terraces of "he's got a pineapple on his head..." and instant recognition from home and away fans.